Trump Takes Questions Before Iowa Trip: Says U.S. May Hit Iran "a Little Bit Further," Responds to MAHA Adviser Resignation
Washington — President Donald Trump stopped to take reporters' questions at the White House on the afternoon of October 22 before departing for Sioux City, Iowa, and the White House's official channel released the full video of the departure gaggle the same day. Under the White House schedule, Trump was to deliver remarks that evening at Sioux Gateway Airport, campaigning for Republican Senate nominee Ashley Hinson, gubernatorial nominee Zach Lahn and other Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Asked about Iowa voters' views of the war with Iran, Trump said, according to CNN: "Well in one way, they love it because I'm doing what should have been done by other presidents, and another way maybe they don't. It's — there's a price to pay, which I knew immediately when I did it, but we can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon." He added: "This should have been done a long time ago by other presidents. The Iran war — and we've knocked the hell out of them, and we may do it a little bit further." CNN reported that Trump's advisers have drawn up plans for renewed strikes coordinated with Israel that could be executed if he gives the go-ahead, with no indication he has approved them.
The same day, Calley Means, a senior adviser to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced his resignation. Means, a central figure in the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement, brokered the 2024 conversations that led Kennedy to end his own campaign and endorse Trump. In a post on X, Means said he was resigning "with tremendous respect for President Trump and Bobby Kennedy," who he said had laid out a vision of combating "the entrenched, dark forces in DC that profit from Americans getting sick." The Wall Street Journal reported that Means had grown frustrated with White House delays on MAHA priorities, including a formal definition of ultra-processed foods and a school-meal rule requiring less added sugar and more protein. Asked about Means during the gaggle, Trump said, "I don't know him very well," before adding, "MAHA is great." White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster said in a statement: "We are grateful for Calley Means' time in the Trump Administration. He has done a fantastic job for the MAHA movement."
Reporters also asked about a controversial advertisement in Ohio's race for governor, according to USA Today: Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's ad features Democratic candidate Amy Acton's estranged mother accusing Acton of lying about her past; Acton has been estranged from her mother since age 12, and her stepfather was charged with rape for allegedly sexually abusing her. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and former Governor John Kasich have both denounced the ad. Trump responded: "I know nothing about it, all I know is the mother said very bad things about Acton." Earlier in the day, Trump had defended the ad in a social media post, calling it "very powerful."
After the gaggle, Trump departed for Sioux City, where his remarks were scheduled for 6:30 p.m. local time on October 22 at Sioux Gateway Airport.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：特朗普总统10月22日在白宫启程前往 Iowa 前停步回答记者提问。画面：白宫官方视频截图。President Trump takes reporters' questions at the White House on Oct. 22 before departing for Iowa. Frame: The White House (official video).
